Are you putting up with mediocre marketing?

We live in a world where suddenly everyone is an expert. A 22-year old kid works in social media for two years and suddenly they’re a “social media expert”.

OK.

Most people who work in marketing frankly don’t know what they’re talking about when they talk about marketing.

They throw in some key words here and there.

They talk a lot about KPIs and growth hacking techniques but still come up short.

Then you replace them with more mediocrity and they come up short too. So, you think:

Maybe this is as good as it gets. Maybe our expectations were too high.

And you keep chugging along, investing a lot of money in marketing. Why?

Because it’s what everyone else is doing.

And make do with your average results.

You go back to your board and show them every KPI except the one that matters most: revenue.

Erm yeah we got no clients, but check out those awesome bounce rates.

Are marketers mediocre? Well a lot are, yes. Let’s not beat around the bush here. But it’s like any position.

How many salespeople are truly good salespeople? How many business developers are good “bizdevs”?

And how many rarely if ever hit their targets?

We are taught in our schools, in society, to toe the line. To conform. To do things like everyone else.

It’s easier to control people if we don’t think so creatively after all.

It’s no surprise then that it’s hard to find a marketer who is truly capable of pushing the boundaries.

But it’s essential. Because a great marketer does think differently. A great marketer is a bit weird, a bit crazy.

Bottom line: You will get monkeys if you invest peanuts. A great marketer takes investment. Both money and time.

I might be wrong but maybe it’s better to leave what look like quick wins by the door when considering your marketing goals and assets to reach them. Whether they’re SEO specialists, copywriters or community managers. Because a great marketer has the potential to elevate your company to heights that few others can.